Combined inventory-ticket and stock-sheet.



DEPT TIcK T Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

0. F. RUDOLF. COMBINED INVENTORY TICKET AND STOCK SHEET.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12, 1912. 1, 1 14,81 1

DHTE DESTROY NOTICKET. EVERY ONE MUST BE ACCOUNTED FOR.

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YARDS DOZEN GROSS DOZ 0 R LOC T0\ l ne TE L J J MRR X a @656: i I W T DSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLINTON r. RUDOLF, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COMBINED INVENTORY-TICKET AND STOCK-SHEET.

taking inventory of stock, and its object is,-

broadly, to provide a combined inventory ticket and stock sheet by theuse of which a considerable part of the work of taking an inventory willbe eliminated, and many of the errors common thereto avoided.

It has been the custom in taking an inventory heretofore, particularl inlarge stores selling a great variety of articles to send to eachdepartment tickets upon which the clerks enter the quantity of goods ofspecific description on hand, and such other information as may bedesired. These tickets are then collected and taken to the office wherethe entries thereon are read off by one clerk to another and entered inthe stockbooks or on loose stock-leaves. 'The value of the total numberof each article is then extended, and the page or sheet is totaled. Withthis commonly employed system many opportunities for mistakes have beenpresent both in the transfer from the tickets to the stock-books and inthe computations.

A principal object of my invention is to provide a combined inventoryticket and stock sheet adapted to contain all the infor mation desiredin connection with the taking of the inventory in a convenient form andarrangement,- and by the use of which many of the opportunities forerror will be eliminated.

A further object of my invention is. to provide a combined inventoryticket and stock sheet which will require in connection with its use notransfer of the entries thereon to stock-books or leaves, and which mayitself be filed as a permanent record.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Application filed February 12, 1912.

Serial No. 677,185.

vontory ticket and stock sheet made in pursuance of my .invention.. Thesaid ticket or sheet is composed of the larger and main recordingportion 1, to which is secured in any detachable manner, preferably by aseries of perforations 2 extending the length of the sheet, a checkingstub 3, adapted to receive the total valuc of the article'inventoried onthe main [portion of the sheet as will be hereinafter disclosed. Boththe recording portion and the stub are provided with an aperture 4adacent their top to permit them to be filed in suitable looseleaf-booksor filing boxes to form a permanent record. Near the top of the saidmain recording portion and stub and beneath the said apertures, printedor stamped thereon, are suitable heading adjacent which space is left toreceive the date, the department of the establishment using the ticketand the number of the ticket as at 5, 6 and 7. Upon the main portion,beneaththe said date, department and ticket headings is preferal'rlylocated an order 8 to the employees not to destroy a ticket, and di-'recting them to account for every one, although this may obviously beomitted, it being manifestly desirable, if such directions be used, thatthey be placed in a prominent position where they may be seenand readbefore the inventory has started. Beneath this order I have located aspace anda hen ding 9 therefor for receiving the name ofthe articlev tobe inventoried upon the said,

ticket.

To prevent confusion of the units in which the article is sold andinvcntoried, I have provided a plurality of spaces 10, a

space corresponding to each unit of sale that may be employed throughoutthe said store, and have labeled each of the said Patented Oct. 27,19142,

Beneath these Adjacent the bottom of the main portion 1 of the sheetarea plurality of columns divided into spaces with appropriate headings forreceiving entries in connection with the inventory, and these spaces arepreterably arranged in the manner shown. At each side of the said mainportion 1 are spaces 14 and 14 properly labeled for receiving the totalvalue represented. by the quantity of articles on hand when theinventory has been completed. The space it is employed to receive thetotal value when computed on a basis of the unit cost of the saidarticle, and the space 14 is employed to receive the total value whencomputed on a basis of the price at which the unit sells. It will bemanifest, however, that either or both. of such spaces may be usedWithout departing from the spirit or scope of my invention. Even whenthe inventory is computed on the cost price it is some times desirableto compute the total selling price in the space 14: for comparison orother purposes.- Between these spaces 14: and 14' 1 preferably provide aspace 15 to receive the code cost, wherein may be written the codesymbol should the goods be provided therewith, a space 16 to receivetill) the original cost, and a space 17 to receive the actual presentvalue of a unit of the articles. These are preferably located in acolumn one above the other adjacent the summation space 14:, it beingobvious, however, that where desired such spaces may be omitted entirelyfrom the ticket. Be-

neath the spaces, 15, 16 and 17, and at the bottom of the said column Ihave provided a space 18 properly headed for receiving the unit value atwhich the articles are inventoried.

Adjacent the column comprising the spaces 15, 16, 17 and 18 1 provide asecond column of spaces preferably comprising a space 19, to receive thesignature of the clerk determining the quantity of the article on handand the space 20 immediately thercbelow to receive the signature of theclerk checking the said quantity. In the said column is also provided aspace 21 for receiving a number indicating the lot to which the goodsbelong. Beneath these spaces I have provided a space 22 wherein may bewritten the quantity of the article on hand when the inventory wascommenced, expressed in the indicated unit, and the quantity, expressedin the same unit, disposed of thereafter and before the ticket is turnedinto the oilice. Beneath the space 22 and adjacent the space 18, is aspace 23 to receive the net quantity of goods on hand when the ticket isturned in, which is the diilerence between the numbers placedimmediately thercabove in'space 22, as hereinabove described. Betweenthis column and the summation space ll are disposed iaiasii two spaces2aand 25, the space 24 to receive the price at which a unit of the saidarticle sells, and the space 25 to receive the name of the personextending or computing in space 14 the total value of the articlesinventoried. Thus the net quantity of goods in stock and the inventoryprice based on the cost arranged side by side for convenience incomputing the total inventory cost. Upon the stub 3 and adjacent thebottom thereof and in line with the summation space 14; and the netquantity and inventory rate spaces 23 and 18 is located a thirdsummation space 26 wherein may be placed the total inventory value ofthe net quantity of articles on hand, and above this space is located aspace 27 to receive the signature of the person performing thiscomputation. When an inventory of a department store, for example, is tobe taken on a certain date with my combined ticket and stock sheet, asuflic-ient number of tickets serially numbered are distributed to theclerks in the various departments. The tickets are thus numbered toavoid duplication-and to facilitate iandling. The department number anddate on which the inventory is taken may be filled in before or afterthe tickets are delivered to the department. A clerk in the departmentwrites on the ticket the name of the article to be counted and places acheck in the space indicating the proper unit, 2'. 6., if the goods sellor are inventoried by the yard, the said clerk will put a cross withinthe space above which is printed the word yard, or if the goods areinventoried by the gross, the cross will be placed in the spaceimmediately beneath tic of the said spaces as the data disposed upon thetickets attached to the goods permit, and also inserts the selling priceinv the space The entries in these spaces 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19, or anyof them, may be made by the clerks in the department where the goods arelocated, or in the otiice, or by clerks specially delegated for thatwork.

in a large store, or even in a large department, it is practicallyimpossible to count all the goods in one day, and hence the tickets aredistributed several days before the date on which the inventory istaken, and provision is made for recording sales after the goods arecounted and before the tickets are 'entered in the space 22 andsubtracted from the original number of units of the article alreadyentered in space 22, the result being set down in the space 23 as thenot quantity of the article to be inventoried. The inventory may then beextended by the clerk making out the ticket, or by some other clerk, bymultiplying the net quantity in stock as thus set forth in the space 23by the inventory price as set forth in thespace 18, writing down theresult of such multiplication in the space 26 on the stub and signinghis name in the space 27. I prefer to have the first extension made onthe stub so that it can be separated from the main portion, and then asecond extension is made by another clerk u ion the main portion, theresult being entere of the person making the extension in the space 25.Thus I provide for two independont extensions, and when the computationof the extensions on the stubs on the main portions of all the ticketsis made, they should agree. This gives a check on the final result whichis easily made, and if the totals do not agree the error can be readilydiscovered by comparing the stubs and main portions, and when the ticketis found showing the variance the mistake can be corrected after makinga new extension.

It will thus be obvious that should any mistake occur in thecomputations it can be easily remedied by comparing the stubs with theircorresponding recording main portions, and the responsibility thereforefastened upon the proper individual.

If the inventory is computed from the selling price, the extensions willbe similarly made from the entries in spaces 24 and 14, and the samecourse pursued as before described, or this extension and computationmay be made in addition to the other if desired.

It will be manifest also that where such a ticket is used there is nolonger the need to transfer the quantity of the article or the variousother items to a book or sheet intended to form a part of the permanentrecords because the main portion of the tickets constitute a completeand also an original record of all the details of the inventory, and canbe bound together or filed in accordance with a looseleaf system. Theelimination of this transfer removes a fruitful source of error andeffects a material reduction in the labor ordinarily expended in takingan inventory. Where it is deemed in the space 14 with thesignatureadvisable the stub also may be filed in like manner forsubsequent verification or to disclose merely the aggregate value of thearticles inventoried on the main sheets.

It will be apparent that variations in the number of spaces and theirarrangement may be employed without departing from the spirit or scopeof my invention, or sacrific- 1n any of its advantages, the formhereinbe ore disclosed being merely one preferred ,means designating thesame for receiving.

the number of units disposed of after the said count is made and beforethe inventory is completed, a space and heading therefor for receivingthe number of units of the article on hand when the count is made andthe total number of units of the article disposed of after said count ismade and before the inventory is completed, a space and heading thereforfor receiving the number of units on hand when the inventory iscompleted, a space and heading therefor for receiving the unitary valueat which the article is inventoried, and a space and heading thereforfor receiving the summation value of the units of the article in stockwhen the inventory is completed.

2. A combined inventory ticket and stock sheet comprising a recordportion provided with spaces and headings therefor for receivinginformation relating to the article being inventoried, spaces andheadings there for for receiving the unit in which the said article isinventoried, a space and heading therefor for receiving the number ofunits of the article on hand when the count is made and the total numberof the article disposed of after said count'is made and before theinventory is completed, a column and means designating the same forreceiving the number of units disposed of after the said count is madeand before the inventory is completed, a space and heading therefor forreceiving the number of units on hand when the inventory is completed, aspace and heading therefor for receiving the unitary value at which thearticle is inventoried, and

a detachable stub, both said stub and said ceiving information relatingto the article being inventoried, a series of spaces and headingstherefor disposed across the sheet for indicating the unit in Which thesaid article is inventoried, a series of columns and means designatingthe same for receiving the number of units of the article disosed ofafter the count has been made and efore the inventory is completed, aspace and heading therefor for receiving the number of units of thearticle on hand When the said count is made, and a series of spaces andheadings therefor disposed in alinement ad- 'jacent the bottom of thesaid sheet, said spaces and headings comprising a space and a headingtherefor for receiving the number of units of the articles on hand whenthe inventory is completed, a space and a heading therefor for receivingthe unit valve at which the article is inventoried, and a space andheading therefor for receiving the summation value of the number ofunits in stock when the inventory is completed.

4. A combined inventory ticket and stock sheet comprising a main recordportion and a detachable stub, said main record portion being providedwith spaces and headings therefor for receiving information relating tothe article being inventoried, spaces d headings therefor for receivinga mark dicating the unitin which the article is inventoried, and aseries of spaces and headings therefor disposed in alinemen't adjacentthe bottom of the said record portion, said series comprising a spaceand a heading therefor for receiving the number of units of the articleon hand When the inventory is completed, a space and heading thereforfor receiving the unit value at Which the saidarticle is inventoried,and a space and heading therefor for receiving the summation value ofthe articles in stock When the inventory is completed and a space andiami heading therefor upon the said detachable stub for receiving thesummation value of the number of units in stock When the inventory iscompleted, said space upon the stub being disposed in alinement withsaid series of spaces upon the said main portion.

5. A combined inventory ticket and stock sheet comprising a recordportion provided with spaces designated for the entry of informationrelating to the article being inventoried, a series of spaces disposedacross the sheet and each designated by a unit in which various articlesare sold and inventoried and adapted to be checked to disclose the unitin Which the particular article is inventor-led, a column and meansdesignating the same for receiving the number of units disposed of afterthe count of the article has been made and before the inventory iscompleted, a: space designated for the entry of units of the articles onhand when the'count is made and for entry of the number of articlesdisposed of between the taking of the count and the completion of theinventory, one entry above the other, and a series of spaces arranged inalinement adjacent the bottom of the sheet and designated, one forreceiving the number of units on hand at the completion of the inventorylocated dire '=.t beneath the space provided for the reception of thenumber of articles on hand when the count is made, a second designatedfor the entry of the unit value at which the article is inveutoried andthe third designated for the entry of the summation value of the numberof units of the article in stock when the inventory is completed.

CLINTUN F. RUDOLF.

Witnesses WM. 0. BELT, LUTHER dorms.

